Our lives, like Israelites, influenced by spiritual markers

“When your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever” (Joshua 4:6-7).

I’ve been hunting since I was in diapers, literally. My father would carry me through the fields on his shoulders, set me on the ground when his dogs pointed a covey of quail, shoot the covey, and pick me back up.

Though I’ve been hunting for nearly half a century, I could still take you the very place I was standing and describe the entire affair of every successful hunt. If you are a hunter this doesn’t surprise you because you know that in those moments every sense is heightened, your awareness is elevated, and the experience is saved on the hard drive of your brain.

Even more so, the Lord wanted the same to be true for the Israelites as He led them across the Jordan river and into the Promised Land. They must never forget how God had freed them from slavery in Egypt, led them through the wilderness, stopped the flow of the Jordan river, and seen them safely into the Promise Land. A monument of stones would mark the place where they crossed but memories must mark their hearts, and the stories they would tell would mark the hearts of their children.

What are some of the wonderful things God has done for you in the past that you can recall? What are some of those monumental events in the life of your church? Do you share those stories with your children? Your grandchildren?

Stories of how God has worked fill the history of our state convention. From our founding in 1837 to our role in developing the Cooperative Program, to the new churches being planted this year, the stories go on and on. I believe another story is about to unfold that will be one that Kentucky Baptists will remember for years to come. I want to invite you to be a part of it.

Hope for the Mountains is a one-day evangelistic event scheduled for Nov. 11 at the Eastern Kentucky Exposition Center in Pikeville. Hope for the Mountains will feature evangelist Jon Reed, the Jason Lovins Band and other special guests as we seek to reach the lost. Kentucky Baptist churches from all over the state are encouraged to attend, bring their unreached and unchurched friends, and to serve in various capacities during the event.

You will find all the information at www.kybaptist.org/hope. Please check it out and help us bring the hope of Jesus to the mountains.

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